Aisle 8
by Ellen92
Summary: According to recent studies, people are most likely to meet their soul mate in the supermarket. I, Bella Swan, can attest to that. / AH. Short-story.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: So this is some new idea that popped into my head when I saw an article in the newspaper about people finding their partner in the supermarket. (Yes, they really did a survey on that!) I hope you will like it! _**  
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**Beta: **This story is entirely beta'ed by the amazing Liz, momma2fan. She really is the best. I will keep saying it, but only because it's the truth. She is a really good author as well, so if you have some time; you HAVE to check out her stories as well!

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**Disclaimer:** Sadly enough, I do not own Twilight or these characters. I do own the storyline. But that's all. **  
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**CHAPTER 1**

****_Bella_

I groaned inwardly as I noticed the five different types of lasagna leaves that were neatly placed next to one another on the top shelf at my local supermarket. _Yup, thank you, make my life even more difficult! I mean, why the hell are there five different types up there anyway? I only need one, goddammit! _

As I took two of the boxes - the ones that looked like they contained the most professional lasagna leaves, because yes, this would be a decision based on looks - from their shelf, I was once again cursing myself for inviting Alice over for dinner tonight. Well, to be honest, I hadn't really invited her; she had kind of invited herself, in true Alice-style.

You know those arguments that you _really_ want to win, even though you know you might be totally wrong?

Yeah, well, that kind of argument had led me to this very aisle, aisle 8, at two in the afternoon, trying to decide over five different packages of pasta. I had absolutely no knowledge when it came to cooking or ingredients, so the longer I stared at those two boxes I still had in my hands, the more I started dreading tonight's dinner party. _Why did I agree to this again? _

_Oh right, to keep what little pride I had left. _

_Now, look how that's going to fly out of the window soon. _

Earlier this morning, my best friend Alice had once again pointed out that I was incapable of cooking my own meal, when she had noticed the many empty containers of take-out food that were stuffed in my trash can.

Yeah, sue me, but I didn't like to cook, especially not after I got home from that my job included any exhausting tasks, as it was just a normal nine to five job at the local newspaper, but still.

I had argued that I just liked the Chinese and Taiwanese take-out from across the street, over anything else instead of admitting that I couldn't even boil water, as a figure of speech. Of course I could make water boil, I'm not that hopeless.

But that doesn't matter now. What matters is that I had been so stupid to argue with her in the first place, which had led to her challenging me to prepare her favorite dish tonight.

And yes, you've guessed right. It's lasagna.

According to her, it was actually 'an easy recipe', although as I Google searched it once she had left, there were already too many steps to my liking. I already knew then that this was going to be a lot harder than I had initially thought. _Yes, I was already waving goodbye to my pride. _

Nevertheless there was no going back now. I had agreed to make her this damned lasagna, and I wasn't going down without a fight. But I must admit that a fight with tomato sauce wasn't exactly one of my favorites. The stains can be a real bitch!

Although before I could start picking fights with tomatoes and their sauce, I would have to decide on which type of lasagna leaves I was going to use.

Ultimately, mostly because I was tired of standing in the aisle looking like a total lunatic, I just put the blue colored box back into its place on the shelf and placed the green one in my basket that was already filled with most of the other ingredients. _Yeah, there weren't hundred different brands of those! _

I quickly glanced at my watch, noticing that it was already a quarter past two now. _Great, twenty minutes to decide on one stupid box of lasagna leaves and I end up choosing the green one because I liked the color better. Great, Bella, good start! _

Just as I was about to turn around and leave the aisle, a soft velvety voice called out, startling me completely.

"I prefer the other one."

I turned around towards the owner of the voice ready to give the person a speech on how you're not supposed to scare people and so on, but when I was met by the most gorgeous man I had ever laid eyes on, my intentions changed. _What was I going to say again?_

"Oh," I said dumbfounded and suddenly I was _very_ aware of my own looks. _I should have put some make-up on before I left the house, or at least combed my hair once more. And those pants, god, Bella, you really couldn't have picked another pair to wear today? _

I looked back into my basket, trying to forget about my horrible appearance by eyeing the stupid green box as if it would suddenly all become clear to me why I should have picked the other brand instead.

"This pasta is a little ticker and the flavor is better. They've used some basil in it." The beautiful stranger explained himself, taking the other box, the blue one, from the shelf and putting it in his own bag.

For a moment I had no idea what to do, because I knew that if I switch the boxes, I would be letting this gorgeous man, that was still in front of me, know that I was a kitchen's biggest nightmare. _Yeah, that's not gonna happen anytime soon. _

"And what if I prefer this one?" I retorted, hoping to sound forceful.

"I was just trying to help out," he laughed – one of the most beautiful sounds in the world, I quickly decided -. "Because it seemed as if you don't really know which one you prefer, seeing you've eyed the boxes for at least five minutes."

_Aaaand, I was busted._

He was smiling at me, a hint of mischief in his beautiful green eyes. And then, I guess in an attempt to really make me drool over his looks, he dragged his hand through his bronze hair, making it even messier by doing so. _Keep your mouth tightly shut, Bella! _

"But of course, it's even better if you make the pasta yourself, from scratch." He grinned, adding a wink along the way that made me want to jump his bones right here in this aisle. _Damn you, gorgeous smarty-pants! _

"Yeah, well, I can hardly make pasta using these things, so I think making my own pasta would turn out to be a total disaster." I admitted sheepishly, knowing that I couldn't disguise it anymore. _Yes, I suck at cooking, so what?! _

"Not much of a cook huh?" He laughed, causing me to giggle as well. Yes, I giggled like a fifteen year old. _Damn him. _

"That would be an understatement."

"Then I suggest you go for the blue box. You won't regret it."

I was still looking back and forth between the shelf and my basket, trying to decide if I should follow his opinion or not. For all I know, he might even be a worse cook than me. Well, not worse, because I don't think that's possible, but at least equally so.

"But if you really must know, the best pasta is still served at my restaurant." He smirked before shooting me one of those lopsided smiles that made my heart beat faster and slower at the same time. Before I could come up with a smart retort he had already made his way out of the aisle. _Well, there goes my theory about him being an equally bad cook as me. _

I quickly changed the packages of pasta, because well, he has a restaurant so he should know what's best right?

After they were swapped, I picked up all of my stuff that was on the floor and rushed out of the aisle, trying to find my mystery man because his last comment had made me curious. Okay, not just the last comment, the entire conversation. I kind of wanted to know more about him. And maybe drool some more over his sexy body.

Unfortunately, he seemed to have disappeared into thin air. _Damn him._

I checked every aisle of the store, desperate to find that messy mop of bronze hair somewhere, but all was in vain. He had already left, leaving me all bothered and confused.

But hey, at least I had the right kind of pasta now!

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_A/N: Sooo, are you liking this so far? Do you want more? Please leave me a review, because right now, I'm really nervous about sharing this with you and some feedback would be wonderful. _

_As I've already told you, this will be a short story. (6 chapters only, all about this length) _

_And before one of you asks, this entire story will be in Bella's point of view :)  
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_Until next time, hopefully!  
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_Love, Ellen_


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Let me tell you one thing about preparing lasagna; it doesn't matter what goddamned brand of leaves you buy to make your dish, because even the supposedly 'best ones' don't even want to co-operate.

_Or maybe I should just use a bigger pot to make those damned different layers… Yes, Bella, that's it!_

I quickly rummaged through my cabinets and retrieved a slightly bigger one. _Ha, there you go! Perfect fit! _

Just as I was about to start chopping the onion, the bell sounded through my apartment.

I quickly wiped off my hands and headed towards the front door, totally not surprised to see Alice bouncing like the energizer bunny on the other side of the door. Yeah, a little bit too excited to my liking.

"I didn't have anything of importance to do all evening, and I just thought that I could _watch _you make the lasagna as well, just to make sure that you really made it yourself." Alice announced before skipping her way into the kitchen. I shook my lightly and let the last five seconds filter through. _So, okay, I had a spectator. No big deal._

I went back to my place at the stove, ready to continue with the killing of that annoying onion, when Alice suddenly spoke up from her place at the side of the counter. "No, Bella, you can't-"

"I cook, you watch!" I interrupted her before offering one of my lethal stares. Oh and I might have pointed my knife at her as well. She instantly slumped back in her seat, her hands up in defeat. "Okay, okay. I was just trying to help."

I hadn't even cut one piece of the onion yet, but, _of course_, I had already sliced my finger.

"Fuck!" I muttered, quickly rushing towards the sink to hold the damn finger under a stream of cold water before my entire kitchen turned into a bloodbath. _Blood stains are even worse than tomato sauce ones. _

The rusty smell of blood hung in the air immediately, and I had to keep myself from gagging. Nothing is worse than the smell of your own blood.

"That's what you get when you don't listen to me," Alice said with an 'I told you so'- look on her face. "If you had let me finish that sentence, you would have known not to hold your onion that way."

After putting some band aid on my poor injured index finger and offering Alice _and_ the onion another scowl, I went back to work, with success this time. Well, a success on my terms. Gordon Ramsey would probably complain about the pieces not being proportionate, but I was pretty damn proud of the result.

Slowly I was getting further and further into the preparation of the dish and, if you don't count the other piece of band aid and the slight burn on my wrist, I would say this was going to turn out really fucking okay.

I mean, I had already succeeded in making the tomato sauce, and the cheese sauce without a single fault. Now I only had to put them into layers and it would be done. _Easy. _

Alice had constantly been babbling, at least until I had accidentally hit her in the face with a wooden spoon. Don't sue me; she was just standing too close while I was trying to soothe the pain of the burn on my wrist. It totally wasn't my fault.

And honestly, I could concentrate a lot better without the sound of her high pitched voice all around me.

Carefully I started putting the different sauces and the leaves into the pot I had chosen before. Cheese sauce, leaf, tomato sauce, leaf. Repeat. _Yeah, nothing difficult about that! Who said I couldn't cook? _

I was looking proudly at the pot of lasagna that was now in front of me. _Yeah, that looked pretty fucking good, if you'd ask me!_

"Now we just have to put it in the oven for about twenty five minutes, and then it'll be ready to serve!" I announced, still wearing that proud grin on my face.

"Well, I must say that I'm impressed," Alice said, leaning closer to eye the lasagna. "It really does look good."

"Wait 'til you've tasted it," I said as I shoved the pot slowly inside the oven, careful not to spill anything.

"I hate waiting," she pouted. I nodded in agreement.

"Maybe I should clean up a bit," I mused, taking in the disaster that was my kitchen at the moment. Little pieces of tomato, onion, and every other ingredient were everywhere, smeared all over the entire surface. _Maybe I could sell it as some sort of abstract form of art? _

"No, we'll do it after we're done eating," Alice decided, dragging me away from the remains of hurricane Bella.

She patted the space next to her on the couch, which I took with a sigh. I knew what was coming now, because I knew Alice.

In exactly one-point-two seconds she was going to start talking about every little detail that had happened in her life since I had last time seen her – which was this morning – and I was going to sit, listen, and nod at the right moments. Yeah, I knew the routine.

Honestly, I didn't mind it one bit. I hated it when all of the attention was on me, so being best friends with someone like Alice was like a gift from God. She probably thought the same thing about me.

"Bella, it is just me, or does it smell like something's burning in here?" Alice suddenly said, breaking her story short.

I put my nose in the air – not that that actually made a difference – and took a deep breath to see if she was kidding me or not.

"SHIT!" I exclaimed as I realized she was right. "The lasagna!"

I jumped from the couch, stumbled over the rug and ran back into the kitchen, watching the smoke come out of my oven.

Without giving it a second thought, and after another string of profanities, I opened the door and waved away the smoke. When I could see the pot of lasagna, I put on some oven mitten and pulled out the dish I was so proud of only minutes ago. Because yes, it was only minutes ago. I swear we hadn't lost track of time. It had only been in there for about fifteen minutes.

"So…" Alice mused, her hands loosely on her hips as we both studied the blackened pasta in front of us.

"This is not my fault!" I exclaimed, "You've dragged me to the living room to listen to all of your Jasper-stories!"

"No, you've simply put the oven way too high," Alice announced, pointing out the obvious. _"_It was supposed to be on 375."

_Fuck._

I grumbled under my breath, not willing to admit that I had been so stupid to screw this up in the final stage. _So close, Bella, so close._

"It happens to the best chef," I defended myself, crossing my arms over my chest for the extra effect.

"So, what do we do now?" Alice asked, as if it wasn't obvious.

"I guess we toss it," I shrugged, knowing that there was nothing to save anymore, unless you're a fan of 'Smoked Lasagna'.

"I still want some lasagna though," my best friend pouted. "I was kinda looking forward to it now."

"Yeah, me too," I sighed, before dumping the failed dish into the sink.

We were both staring at the clump of burned food as if it was a beloved one we had just lost. It was pathetic. But damn if I wasn't hungry…really hungry. Even through the burned smell, the smell of pasta still lingered in my apartment and my mouth instantly started to water. Yup, I needed food. Now.

"You know what," I exclaimed. "Enough sulking. It's only 8 pm; there are still many restaurants open at this hour. We'll just have to find ourselves one who's serving lasagna. My treat, of course!"

I was already making my way to the hallway to get my coat and purse when Alice bounced over to me excitingly.

"Oh, Bella, Bella, we _have _to go to this new restaurant a few blocks away. Jasper took me there last week for the opening day, and the pasta is simply _to die_ for!" She said, lolling her head back as she was obviously remembering the taste. I swear she was about five seconds away from drooling on my carpet. _Not under my watch. _

"I don't care where we go, as long as they have food and it's edible!" I said, already dragging Alice out of my apartment to that new restaurant, wherever it was.

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_A/N: Now now, where the hell would they end up? *evil grin*_

_Please leave me a review with your thoughts, they mean the world to me!_

_**Next update: **__Sunday! _

_Love, Ellen_


	3. Chapter 3

_Internet broke down again, so that's why this update is later than promised. Sorry!_

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**CHAPTER 3**

By the time we arrived at the new Italian restaurant Alice couldn't stop gushing about, my stomach had already let me know – multiple times - that it wanted to be fed soon, so I walked in without a second thought, dragging my best friend behind me.

The first impression of the place was that it was some cozy, little restaurant, nothing too fancy but definitely classy. The browns and the reds on the wall and the reddish-brown furniture didn't really send out the Italian atmosphere, but when you looked closer, there were all kind of different details that made you realize you were unmistakably in an Italian restaurant. The green-red-white flag colors were gracefully mixed with the interior and I must say that I was impressed. They had really put some thought into decorating this place.

Not that I _really_ cared about how the place looked like. I only cared about what I was going to get on my plate, and more importantly, in my mouth.

"And you know what's best about this restaurant?" Alice whispered once we were seated somewhere in the middle of the place.

Instead of answering me right away, her eyes were suddenly scanning the entire room, as if she was afraid someone would be eavesdropping before she motioned me to come closer to her. "This place has the hottest chef!" She shrieked, right into my ear.

"Dammit, Alice, I'm gonna go deaf soon because of you." I muttered, putting my hand over my left ear where the insides were drumming now.

"It's true though," she said seriously. "He really is some fine piece of man."

"And what did Jasper think of you ogling that _fine piece of man _while he was taking his girlfriend out on a date?" I said, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"I can be very subtle," she grinned. "Besides, I can look, I just can't touch." _Oh Alice. _

"Let's just hope someone will want to compliment the chef later tonight," she continued, her gaze going over the entire restaurant once more. Of course _we _couldn't compliment the chef, 'cause then Alice would be drooling all over the restaurant and I would be as red as a tomato just because I was with her.

I shook my head at my best friend before picking up the menu. "We should order instead of looking around for some hot Adonis."

"I bet that once you've seen him, you will be on my side again." Alice huffed, leafing through her copy of the menu.

"Ali, aren't I always on your side?" I said, looking at her sweetly.

"Yeah yeah, whatever," she muttered, her attentions suddenly completely on the list with food. I couldn't help but grin at her. She truly was one of a kind.

"So you've actually chosen this restaurant for the chef's looks?"

"Partially," she admitted. "Only a small part though, because the food is mouthwatering." She bit her lip at the mentioning of the food, and I must admit that she had made me curious by now. I had always known Alice to be someone to exaggerate, but something told me that she wasn't really this time.

Oh well, in a few minutes I would be able to judge myself. And my stomach was most definitely hoping that she wasn't exaggerating.

We both ordered the lasagna, of course, and were now hopelessly waiting for it to arrive. Every time some waiter would come out of the kitchen with some food we would stretch to see if it were our plates, but unfortunately we had to live with the disappointments a few times before they _finally _put our lasagnas in front of us.

And goddammit, even the smell of it was enough to make my mouth water. But maybe that was just because I was really fucking hungry by now. Like close- to-starving hungry.

I was about to shovel an entire forkful into my mouth, but Alice stopped me halfway, almost yelling my name for the entire restaurant. "No, Bella! Don't take such a big bite! You have to savor every bit!"

I rolled my eyes at her ridiculousness before placing my forkful back on my plate and taking a smaller bite. _Always please the pixie! _

Do you know when people write and talk about people moaning about how good something was? Well, up until now I had always laughed at the statement. Who the fuck would moan because of some piece of food? Well, me, obviously.

But dammit, this might have been the best thing I have ever tasted in my entire life. _And yes, I've had had more than only take-out, so my judgment is legit. _

"I told you!" Alice shrieked as she had obviously heard my little bit embarrassing reaction to the heavenly pasta.

"Seriously, Alice, you weren't kidding!" I said in awe before taking another – equally good – bite. "I think Sally wouldn't have had to fake the whole orgasm thing in the restaurant if she had _this _on her plate."

"Sally?" Alice asked confused.

"From the movie," I explained with an eye roll, "You know, 'When Harry met Sally' and the scene where she tried to prove Ha-. No, wait, never mind!"

It's not that I didn't want her to understand, I just didn't want to explain her while my lasagna was getting cold in front of me.

"I'll explain later," I dismissed her with a hand gesture. She only shrugged at my weird behavior and probably the mentioning of an orgasm while we were having dinner. Not that I cared at this point. I only cared about finishing this lasagna before the kitchen closed so maybe I could order another plate.

Yes, it was _that _good. Food-gasm, isn't that the word people on the internet frequently use to describe this?

"Oh my gooooooood," Alice suddenly shrieked, but most shockingly without the high pitched sound. She was actually kind of mouthing it while pinching my arm.

"Are you okay, Alice? Or is the food to much to take in?" I joked, taking another bite of my mouthwatering lasagna.

"No, Bella, it's _him,_" she whispered.

"Him, who?" I asked, totally not into her mood. I just wanted to finish this heavenly pasta before it would be cold, couldn't she understand?

"Him, who, she asks," Alice said rolling her eyes. "Him – chef Adonis – hiiiim!"

"Oh," I said, suddenly a little bit more interested. I mean, Alice was kind of having a heart attack in front of me just because the guy had apparently walked into the room, so something inside me told me that it must be worth it to put my cutlery down for a second and have a look myself.

"He's talking to the people at the table behind you. Watch carefully okay, I don't want him to know we're ogling his ass. _His fiiiiine ass." _

"Okay," I told Alice with an eye roll. Suddenly I felt like we were in high school again with the way we were acting. You know, trying to sneak a look at your crush without being caught. Yeah, good times.

I quickly took another bite of my lasagna, you know, still not wanting it to get cold, before I was going to check out Alice's Greek god.

But when I turned around – carefully as Alice had instructed of course – I wished I had never taken that last bite.

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_A/N: Now why the hell would Bella have such a reaction? :')_

_*grin*_

_I hope you liked it!_

_Leave me a review maybe?_

_Love, Ellen_


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

I was coughing violently, trying to get the piece of lasagna out of my wind pipe where it was currently stuck. Alice had this panicky look on her face now as she waved her hands around me, trying to decide whether she should slap my back or do the Heimlich maneuver once away.

_Now that would make for a lovely second impression. _

Yes, second impression, you've heard me right, because the hot, fine piece of man, chef that was no less than five feet away from me was no one other than the same smug, drop dead gorgeous man, I had met in the supermarket this morning.

If I wasn't choking I would have laughed at this situation. Doesn't this only happen in those lame romantic movies?

Oh great, so now my life will turn into one of those sappy films teenage girls watch when they have sleepovers. Yay!

I was close to waiting for some cheesy song to fill the restaurant, and maybe even some weird dancers in cheerleading costumes to go along with the song, but instead I was met with the velvety voice of the owner of previous mentioned 'fine ass'. Luckily I had already managed to snap out of my coughing fit, so that I wouldn't be spitting pasta all over his gorgeous body. _Now _that_ would have killed the second impression. _

"And so we meet again," he said, a smirk very much in place. _Damn him._

I totally ignored Alice gaping reaction and the kick I received under the table when I turned to look at him.

"Seemingly," I managed to sputter. I would blame the choking episode for my lack of sophisticated vocabulary, but I knew that it totally was the man in front of me who was turning me into a speechless mess. _Damn him._

"Well, seeing that you are in my restaurant now, I come to understand that your own attempts to cooking lasagna weren't that successful," he grinned.

"Who said that I have already tried?" I said, giving him a playful glare. Oh, now I was finally going somewhere.

"My bad, miss," he laughed, holding up his hands in surrender.

"This is _sooooo _good," Alice shrieked, all googly eyes, and stuff and breaking the little bubble this fine man and I had created around us. Seriously, that wasn't some myth as well. I really felt like the rest of the world had ceased to exist as he was looking at me. _Yeah, some day, some day. _

Chef Adonis – whose name I suddenly desperately wanted to now – turned to look at my best friend, giving her one of his panty dropping smiles while doing so.

"I'm glad you like it, miss-"

"Alice!" She said quickly, her eyes still roaming his body. I probably should alert Jasper about this obsession of hers, because it might be getting out of hand.

"Alice," he drew out slowly. "Now tell me this, did she already try to make the lasagna or is she just being smug."

"_Bella," Yeah, Alice, nice emphasis on the name there. "_Did already try it," she starting, giving me a mischievous grin. "But she totally failed. Well, not totally, but well, you know, it wasn't edible in the end."

I was about to sink away into my seat, hoping that I could just crawl under the other tables and make my way out of this restaurant without being seen, but unfortunately, the object of my affection had already turned his attention back to me.

Well, he was just grinning smugly at me. _Great._

"It wasn't a total disaster," I argued, crossing my arms in front of me like a petulant child. Really, it wasn't that bad right? I just made a minor mistake after putting it in the oven, no big deal.

"Now, _Bella_, how about I show you how a perfect lasagna is made?" He offered, dazzling me just by looking at me with his deep green eyes.

"Like this one?" I blurted out.

"Yes, like this one," he smirked. "I'm glad you agree on that." _Damn him. Once again._

"Anyway, I really have to go back to my workshop over there before they start burning stuff because they miss my supervision." He said, pointing toward the kitchen. "I would like it if you would stick around 'til the end of the shift, so I can show you afterwards, how to make some decent food."

My eyes widened in surprise. He actually wanted to show me today. As in, in a few hours? I was too busy fawning over him and questioning why he would want to invite _me _over in his kitchen to realize that he was kind of waiting for any type of reaction from me.

"She'll be there," Alice said. Unlike me, she had at least found out how to speak again. And I had received another kick under the table for that. I just nodded to give him any type of reaction, but I could feel my cheeks starting to flame at the thought of being alone with this Greek God in his kitchen. _Now that would be interesting._

"Enjoy the rest of your meal, _Bella," _he said, smiling brightly. "And if anything is wrong with it, ask for Edward. That would be me."

And with that – and an additional wink - he left our table, leaving me in a total mess. I tried not to stare as he walked back into the kitchen. Oh and I tried not to squeal as well, because dammit, did he – _Edward -_ just asked me to join him in the kitchen after his shift?

"Yes, Bella, YES, he totally did," Alice answered, making me realize I must have been talking out loud.

"Well fuck me," I said, letting myself slide a bit deeper into my seat as I still felt the blush from earlier on my cheeks.

And then a tapping noise broke me from my spell and I was met with one of Alice's famous looks. The 'You-better-spill-bitch' look. _Yeah, not a big fan of that one._

I just plastered a big, sheepish smile on my face, hoping to get out of the Spanish inquisition, but I knew that that wouldn't happen.

"You know him?" Alice all but shrieked – again with the shrieking.

"Well, it's somewhat complicated," I offered, not even knowing where to start. _The beginning, Bella that would be a good start._

"Talk, now!"

So I told her all about the encounter with chef Adonis – _Edward – _this afternoon at the supermarket and how he helped me pick the right kind of lasagna leaves – not that it had mattered 'cause I burned the entire thing anyway.

Alice just nodded and hm'd while I swore that I didn't know that this was his restaurant. _ If I had, I would have been the one to suggest this place that much is certain! _

"Well, he was totally all over you. He hardly acknowledged me." Alice said with a pout, making me crack up.

"Maybe he remembered you, and _your boyfriend, _from last week!" I laughed, making her scowl at me. Yes, scowl.

"Enough joking," she suddenly said, her eyes completely serious now. "I'm going to let you in on my darkest secrets so you can make this man yours!"

My eyes widened – once again – as I heard Alice explain every tip and trick she knew. All I could think about was '_Not doing that', 'I would probably look like a retard trying that', 'Yeah, and I'd probably look very attractive attempting that look' , _but I let her have her fun. I wasn't going to try anything, because even though he was as mouthwatering as the food he was able to produce, I didn't think he would be interested in me in the same way I was interested in him. Maybe he just wanted to share some kitchen knowledge with a total nitwit like me. God knows I could use it.

However, as Alice kept rattling, time was passing by and every tick of the clock got me closer to my almost-date with Greek God – _Edward._ I suddenly felt like I needed a drink. Or maybe even two.

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_A/N: Now now, what do you think? ;)_

_Liking it? Please leave me your thoughts, even if it's just short, it's highly appreciated!_

_Love, Ellen_


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

The more people started to leave the restaurant after finishing their meal, the more nervous I got for what would come soon. I had to bite the inside of my lip to keep myself from squealing out loud because of these recent developments.

It was insane actually, because the only thing that was probably going to happen in that kitchen was a civilized explanation on how to make this perfect dish. _Oh and perfect it was! _

I was currently staring at my now empty plate, resisting the urge to actually lick it clean. In the end I decided against it, just in case Edward might come out of the kitchen again for god knows what reason – another compliment to the chef most likely. I wouldn't want my third impression to be one where I was burying my face into the remains of his lasagna.

"This is so exciting!" Alice squealed, clapping her hands and bouncing in her seat like a five year old on his first themed birthday party.

"Alice, it's just some cooking tips from a professional," I said, rolling my eyes at her as I feigned disinterest.

"Bullshit!" She exclaimed. "That guy likes you, and by the way you've been fumbling in your seat for the past hour I think I can assume that you at least like him a little bit, as well."

"Whatever," I muttered, not willing to admit that she was right – once again. _Damn Alice and her observation skills. _

She grinned smugly, knowing that by not answering her, she had her answer as well. I crossed my arms in annoyance but still wasn't able to wipe the smile off my face. Well, that's what a drop dead gorgeous man asking you into his kitchen late in the evening does to someone.

As the last couple – a lovely seventy year man and woman who still seemed to be so in love that I wanted to cry because they shared something so rare – left, Alice got up also, putting on her coat while shooting me mischievous glances. No Alice. No.

"Where are you going?" I asked, shocked that she wouldn't wait for Edward to come 'pick me up'.

"Leaving," she said with a 'duh'-look on her face. "I'm not sticking around to watch you two stare lovingly into each other's eyes." I think she might have been fluttering her eyelashes as she was saying it, but I was too busy panicking over the fact that I would be all alone if she left me now.

"Couldn't you at least wait 'til he's here," I asked, suddenly really, really nervous.

"No, you're on your own, babe!" She exclaimed, before throwing her purse over her shoulder and marching out of the restaurant, swaying her little hips while doing so.

"Call me tomorrow!" She yelled over her shoulder and with that she was gone. And I was all alone. In a now empty restaurant, waiting for the most gorgeous man alive to show me how to make some pasta.

And you're still wondering why I was nervous?

I really felt at a loss as to what I was supposed to do now. Should I just walk into the kitchen or should I wait here until someone allowed me inside? I found myself once again biting my lower lip because I couldn't control my nerves. _Why did I agree to this again? _Oh wait, I didn't. Alice did it in my place.

Before I could really start to freak out, a soft velvet voice filled the now empty dining area, making my heart do a somersault in my chest. _What the…?_

"One of the waiters told me that there was still one beautiful lady inside," Edward said seductively, making me mushy just by the choice of words. Yes, it hadn't gone unnoticed that he had called me beautiful. Or well, the waiter had, if there had been a waiter to tell him that in the first place. Something told me that this was just some sort of conversation-starting line, so I swallowed it greedily and tried to hide my nerves the best I could as I replied. "Yeah, my date kind of bailed on me."

He laughed full out, throwing his head back as I pouted at my statement. When his laughing had subsided, he took a seat in the chair Alice had left only minutes ago, staring at me intently.

"So tell me, will you go out with that person again?" He asked, cocking his eyebrow at me, obviously playing along with my little game.

"Hmm, it depends," I said, feeling a lot braver suddenly.

"On what?"

"Well, there was a certain guy who offered to show me some cooking secrets, and well, I'm kind of interested."

"Oh you are, are you?" He was full out grinning by now and his green orbs were playful, yet so intense as well.

"Very much," I breathed, feeling the impact of his stare suddenly crash down on me.

"Well, let's get started then," he said, getting up and motioning me to lead the way to the kitchen. I couldn't hold back a giggle as I picked up my jacket and purse and walked towards his 'workshop' as he had called it himself.

Once inside, I couldn't help but let my eyes wander over the entire place. It was huge. And really modern, with a lot of utilities I had never seen before in my life scattered all over the place.

There were still some people cleaning up the place, but Edward swiftly led me away from them, to what seemed like a more secluded area of this enormous kitchen.

"Can I take those?" He asked, pointing at the heap of stuff I was still clutching in my hands.

"Oh… yeah, of course," I stumbled a bit, still impressed by my surroundings before I handed him my jacket and purse. He went to put them in one of the closets and once again, I couldn't help but stare at him as he walked over there. _Damn him._

When he returned, his smirk was on full display again and I once again found myself unable to keep myself from smiling as well. _Yeah, he had that kind of effect on you. _

"You ready?" He asked, already pulling out random stuff and putting it on the counter in front of him.

"Yup," I said, popping the 'P' and immediately feeling stupid for doing so. _Who still does that anyway? _Well, me apparently.

However, Edward didn't seem to be running for the hills, so I decided no harm was done. I walked closer toward him, experiencing another moment of braveness as I leaned in.

"So, now is the moment where you tell me the chef's mysteries are actually the blue boxes of lasagna noodles out of the local supermarket?" I asked mischievously. _Yeah, I'm on to you, big boy! _

"No, I use those only at home," he said with a wink. "I don't really feel like cooking after my shifts, you know. I like to keep my work and private separated. But I guess I'm kind of breaking the rules now, aren't I?"

And so I was left speechless, unable to come up with either a funny or serious retort. _Damn him._

I could tell that he had slipped into his business mode, because once he started explaining his secrets while preparing the dish, all of the playfulness in his eyes was gone and replaced by determination. And dammit, if that didn't turn me on. I was once again way too busy fawning over the way he was handling the food, to actually pay attention to what he was saying. There was far more to this man than just looks. He was so passionate about what he did, that I suddenly saw him in an entirely different light. Sure, he was still hot as hell, but there was something about the way he spoke about food, that made me like him even more.

"Bella?" Edward's voice suddenly rang out, a little chuckle lying underneath his tone. I shook out of my thoughts, trying to focus on the lasagna again, but of course, he was already on to me.

"You aren't really listening, are you?" He asked, but I could see that he wasn't really mad at me.

I grinned sheepishly, feeling bad for it nonetheless. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he said seriously. "Want to go outside instead? Take a breath? I need some fresh air after this shift."

His glance quickly went toward the few people who were still cleaning up and something inside of me told me that there was more to it than just needing some fresh air. Maybe he wanted some private time as well. Or maybe I was just overanalyzing stuff again, in a true Bella-style. Either way, I agreed quickly, wanting some 'fresh air' myself.

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_A/N: Bella should be punished for not being attentive during class, don't you think? Or well, Edward is probably too distracting..._

_Do you still like it? Still with me? _

_Please leave me a review, 'cause not knowing what you're thinking is horrible :p And besides, reviewing is good for your soul (So say some other authors so...)_

_Love, Ellen_


	6. Chapter 6

_Last chapter, guys ;)_

_And unfortunately, I still don't own Twilight or these lovely characters. They will forever belong to Stephenie Meyer! _

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**CHAPTER 6**

Without giving it a second thought, and mostly eager to be alone with Edward, I quickly started walking towards the kitchen backdoor that would obviously lead us to a small outside patio. In my opinion, it looked perfect to take a fresh breath.

"And where do you think you're going?" Edward asked, stopping me right in my tracks. He looked entirely too smug to my liking. His hands were on his hips as he cocked me an eyebrow at me, something I had already caught him doing a lot.

"Err, outside?" I replied confused.

"Not that way," he laughed, shaking his head as he walked towards me. He wrapped his hand loosely around my arm and pulled me towards another door, one I hadn't noticed before because it was rather small.

Well, I most definitely wasn't really coherent at the moment either, because all I could think about was the fact that _He. Was. Touching. Me._ A spark coursed through my entire body when his hand connected with my skin and was soon followed by warmth that I wanted to bask in forever.

But forever wasn't something I was granted, because before I could even take advantage of it, his hand had left my forearm again and he was climbing the narrow stairway that had been hidden behind the door. _ I thought we were going outside? Oh well, fine by me, 'cause this way I can ogle his ass some more._

I silently followed after him, thanking god that I wasn't claustrophobic, because this space was _very _narrow. However, I breathed in relief when I was finally in a bigger room again. Only it wasn't a room. The minute the cold air hit my skin I realized we were indeed outside, on the roof of the restaurant. It didn't have a beautiful sight of some sorts like I would have expected, cause hey, wasn't my life some cheesy romantic movie now? Nonetheless, some street lights were visible from up here, making a soft orange glow shine upon us.

"I like to come up here. It gives me a sense of peacefulness." Edward said, breaking the silence that had fallen upon us as I was taking in my new surroundings. All playfulness had once again disappeared out of his eyes and features, as he leaned against the little brick wall in the middle of the roof.

I suddenly felt a little awkward being here, as if I was intruding his personal space. However, he had been the one to bring me up here, so maybe he didn't mind. I hoped he didn't.

He turned towards me, his expression intense, but unreadable. I could literally see that he was struggling with something, but I gave him the time to find the right words or whatever it was that he was looking for.

When he finally did speak up, I was taken aback by the seriousness in his voice, but still, I got lost in his words, in his voice.

"You know, sometimes you find yourself desperately looking for that _one_ ingredient that would match another product perfectly, that one ingredient that can give your dish the taste you've been looking for, for so long." He started, his eyes never leaving mine in the process. "And when you can't find the right one, you get frustrated and start screwing over every attempt at perfection. You start combining it with other ingredients, ones that you know won't match because it doesn't feel right from the beginning, but still you try, just because you feel like if you don't give it a shot, you will never know. But my experience has told me that you can't force a perfect match. You usually stumble across it when you least expect it. It's suddenly there, right in front of you, and once you see it, it's so obvious that you have that one thing you were looking for all along right there."

He was staring at me so intently, as if he was hopelessly trying to convince me that his theory was the right one.

I could only nod at his words, because _hey, I'm no chef!_ I can't even make something as simple as lasagna without ruining the whole dish.

But then suddenly it hit me, the true meaning of his entire ramble. And he obviously seemed to have noticed that I suddenly got it as well. "You know I'm no longer talking about food anymore, right?" Edward asked, and I swear that he was blushing, a little, as he stared at the tips of his shoes.

I shook my head, trying to wrap my head around his words. Now that I let my mind go over them again, I almost couldn't contain my squeals. _But I did._

"I knew within a minute that you were my match," he whispered, his eyes suddenly staring into mine again. "You were looking so helpless, but so cute and beautiful at the same time."

"Yeah," I muttered, remembering that mortifying moment again. "But err; I still don't see how a chef like you, and a bungler like me, match."

"Well, that's because you are no chef," he said with a proud grin. "Food usually demands contrasts. Sweet and sour, or sweet and bitter. It's _all_ about combining contrasts."

I couldn't hide the smile at his little ramblings. He really, truly was passionate about his profession and damn, if it wasn't sexy. Especially if this was his way to talk about other stuff as well.

"But if you knew I was your match, why did you leave me in the supermarket without your name or telephone number?" I asked confused. If _I_ had known what he had known then, I wouldn't have let him go. Not in a million years.

He grinned as he gestured between the two of us.

"Two perfect ingredients will always find their way back to each other, no matter what. I guess I wanted to test faith and see if I was right."

_And right he had been. _

Slowly, but deliberately, Edward stepped closer, his eyes boring into mine as if he was asking me for permission. My breathing sped up as he slowly traced his finger over my cheek, all the way to my neck, leaving goose bumps in its wake. The soft smile that played on his lips never faded, it only seemed to grow.

"You're exquisite," he murmured, barely audible as if he didn't intend for me to hear it. _But I had._

His breathing was labored as well, his chest heaving with every breath he took and I couldn't understand how I – Bella Swan, plain, ordinary girl – would get such a reaction out of someone like him.

His beautiful, green eyes closed for a brief second and he had never looked more beautiful to me as right then. Instinctively, I stepped closer towards him, feeling the heat of his body crash into mine, deliberately making the cold night that was surrounding us something irrelevant.

When Edward opened his eyes again, he was slightly taken aback by my closeness, but much to my relief he didn't step back. Instead he leaned in, his lips softly caressing my cheek, making me gasp softly. The touch was feather light, but yet it had the power to make my entire body yearn for him.

His arms slowly slid around my waist, holding me upright, because god, I really needed it. I had never felt more vulnerable around someone before, but much to my surprise, it didn't scare me one tiny bit. In the few hours that I had known him, these few minutes that I had spent with him, I really felt like I had already come to trust him. Maybe it was the way he looked at me, or maybe the way he had a way with words; I don't know. All I knew was that I had an overwhelming need to be closer to him, completely wrapped up into him and lost in his touch and warmth.

So I did.

I threw my arms around his neck and let my fingers make their way through the mess that was his hair. I tried to pour everything I felt at the moment in one look and the minute he looked into my eyes again, I could tell that he understood what I was trying to tell him wordlessly.

Edward understood that I was in this just as much as he was.

I barely had time to register his smile before his lips were suddenly, but softly pressed against mine. It wasn't passionate, it wasn't wild but god, it was intense. And for us, it was just perfect.

For a first kiss, that was, because honestly, I craved the passionate ones as well.

Only a second after that thought had hit my mind, Edward's lips were on mine again, a lot more forcefully than they had been previously, as if he had been able to read my mind. I instantly kissed him back just as eagerly, feeling myself surrender to all he was.

When we broke apart after a while, both of our lips slightly swollen, we both grinned at each other. I had never, ever felt something this powerful before and I swore to myself that I would never let go of it now that I had it.

I wanted to wrap my arms around him again, feeling him closer; keeping him closer, but Edward seemed to have other plans. He put some space between us before leaning down to catch my eyes, forcing me to look at him. _As if I could look away…_

"Bella, would you go on a date with me?" Edward suddenly asked, his voice a little hoarse from our little kissing session, but his eyes filled with so many emotions all at the same time that it was hard to pinpoint them all.

I could only nod, already feeling my cheeks blush again at his simple question. His entire face lit up at my answer and his lips instantly sought mine again, connecting in another perfect dance that was once again leaving me breathless.

_He _was leaving me breathless. Everything about him. And it seemed that I had the same effect on him.

I guess this must be what everyone calls fate. Because who would have thought that a trip to aisle 8 of my local supermarket would have led me to being here, on top of a roof, already falling in love with a drop-dead gorgeous, passionate chef?

Well, I most definitely hadn't. But one thing is for sure, I will never regret losing that argument with Alice now.

**~THE END~**

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_A/N: So, that was it. Yes, it all went quickly in the end, but hey, it was a short fic after all and come on, it's Bella and Edward we're talking about. It's always love at first sight ;) ;) _

_But, basically it's not entirely finished yet! Because so many people have asked me for an Edward point of view on his story, I'm writing __**an outtake**__ which will cover most of the story from his point of view, so you can still look forward to that! As I've just started working on this, I don't know when I'll be able to finish and post it, but I promise, it will come ;)_

_Anyway, I wanted to thank you all for your support and lovely reviews! A special thanks once again to **momma2fan** for the amazing beta work!_

_Oh and another thing; This is most definitely not my last story! I am working on something new, but due to a huge amount of home work and presentations I won't be able to write a lot, so I first want to have a few chapters finished before I start posting chapters ;) But I promise there is more to come :) Just put me on** author alert** if you don't want to miss anything._

_So, as for now, see you at the outtake!_

_Love, Ellen_


	7. Outtake (part 1)

__A little later than promised, but here it is anyway. The outtake of Aisle 8! It will be most part of the story, but from Edward's point of view :) Only two chapters though :) I hope you'll like it :)

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**Momma2fan **is still my lovely beta! She's the best!

* * *

**Disclaimer **I still don't own Twilight or the characters. I do own this plot, but that's all!

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_Edward_

I slammed the cabinet door tightly shut again, groaning along the way as the sound reverberated through my entire apartment. _Of course I would have run out of lasagna leaves when I needed them the most. Stupid karma! Why did I invite my parents to dinner tomorrow evening? Why oh why?_

But because I knew that inner monologues usually didn't result into anything productive, I quickly picked up my jacket and wallet and left my apartment, hoping that I would return unharmed.

If there is one thing you should know about me, it's the fact that I hated the supermarket. No, wait, I absolutely loathed that place!

People walking slowly in front of you, blocking the entire aisle while looking over every single article on the shelves to find out if they needed it or not, crying children tugging on their mother's arm, whining for candy or cookies and lunatics that steal the last box of whatever product right before you were going to reach out for it. _Yeah, sound like paradise, right?_

Much to my relief, it was only two in the afternoon, so I knew from experience that the place I referred to as hell would be pretty desolate.

You might think it's curious that someone like me - a chef owning his own restaurant - would hate the supermarket, but yes I did. I preferred the fresh markets early in the morning; fisherman showing off their loot of fish they caught the night before, farmers displaying their crops and other fresh goods at the break of dawn. Yes, _that_ was paradise.

But even then I was one of those people who, in the end, would ask their employees to buy the stuff. I would do my check-up of the goods and once I trusted someone, I would let my sous-chef handle the rest.

Well, at least _now_ I could ask my sous-chef, because in the last week, I had finally got my own restaurant up and running. Italian, of course, because even I couldn't resist the smell and taste of a well-prepared pasta.

But even though I absolutely loved the art of cooking, I hated doing it in my free time. Fortunately I could always have some leftovers after the shifts, so I wasn't forced to cook a lot at home. _Yes, the joy of having an own restaurant! _

However, I couldn't really serve my parents leftovers after not seeing them for well over a month, so a trip to the supermarket couldn't be avoided. I needed some goddamned lasagna leaves if I wanted to prepare their favorite dish – Edward's lasagna. Usually I had the ingredients stocked to survive an entire winter if necessary, but apparently, winter had ended and I didn't have a single one left. Usually that would result in me making my own leaves, from fresh dough and with the perfect herbs and spices, but honestly, I wasn't really in the mood to do a lot of work. Having opened a restaurant a few days prior was enough to make me mentally and physically exhausted.

And the thought of going back tonight to do the evening shift wasn't really helping. _Yup, the life of a chef ain't an easy one after all. _

I quickly made my way though the different aisles, picking up random items along the way while trying to avoid the earlier mentioned craziness that came with a local supermarket. The thought alone made my body shiver.

I was just about to make my way to my favorite aisle – the pasta aisle – when I was stopped dead in my tracks by what I saw there.

My breathing became labored just that instance and my heart started thumping widely in my chest. _What the fuck?_

If I wasn't completely frozen, I would have probably run away because whatever this reaction was, it seemed pretty damn weird and it was something I had never, _ever, _experienced before.

My eyes had fallen upon the most beautiful woman I had even had the pleasure of laying eyes on. _No kidding! _Her body was simply magnificent and her long chest-nut hair hung in soft waves over her back. I desperately felt the need to reach out and run my fingers through the dark tresses just to feel if they were as soft as they looked.

But what really caught my attention was how cute she looked trying to decide over which brand of pasta leaves to use. She seemed so lost, but yet there was something about her, something I couldn't quite put a finger on.

One thing I knew for sure though, she was exquisite.

More so, she was like a siren, calling me in. And God, if I wasn't willing to surrender.

I watched in light amusement as she obviously was thinking of pro's and con's of each box in order to make a final decision. I knew that if she would go for the blue one, that she wouldn't regret it, because that was my personal favorite. Unfortunately she took the green brand, but I guess she hadn't really made up her mind yet, considering the huff she let out while putting the box into her basket.

I couldn't help myself any longer. I had to talk to her or something, anything to get a deeper insight in this woman who had made me forget about the madness of the supermarket.

"I prefer the other one," I said as I approached her slowly. Her entire body turned violently towards me and it was only then that I realized I had taken her totally off guard. _Way to go, Cullen._

I guess I should consider myself lucky not to have received a slap in the face for scaring this truly beautiful lady. Instead she just answered with a simple 'oh' and went back to staring at the box of lasagna she had just put in her basket. Feeling a little awkward at the silence that had fallen upon us, and mostly because I wanted to get more than an 'oh' out of her, I continued to tell her exactly why she should chose the other brand as I took one of the blue boxes myself. I sincerely hoped she didn't think I was crazy for giving her advice but I simply couldn't resist. I don't even know why it bothered me that much that she was buying the wrong brand, but it did.

"And what if I prefer this one?" she suddenly asked, sounding forceful. _Shit, had I pissed her off? I hadn't, right? I mean, this must be her way of defending herself from annoying men who suddenly started talking to her in the supermarket… _

I wanted to laugh at my own thoughts, because I was well aware that I could just walk away and let her buy whatever she wanted but something about her made me brave and made me want to keep her talking.

"I was just trying to help out," I laughed, "Because it seemed as if you don't really know which one you prefer, seeing you've eyed the boxes for at least five minutes."

When she slightly blushed at my statement, I couldn't help the mischievous grin that spread across my face. And damn, she looked absolutely gorgeous with the pink coloring her cheeks, even more gorgeous than before.

And of course, my damn idiotic chef-like self had to throw in a remark about making your leaves yourself then. _Yeah, great way to make her like you, wise-ass. _

Like me? Was that what I was trying to do here? I didn't know, but right now, I really wanted her to.

"Yeah, well, I can hardly make pasta using these things, so I think making my own pasta would turn out to be a total disaster," she admitted, looking so damn adorable while doing so.

"Not much of a cook huh?" I asked, unable to stop smiling at her. And then she had to giggle. Fuck, she really was the cutest. I almost wanted to shake her and ask her who the hell she was 'cause she was making me lose my mind.

"That would be an understatement," she said sheepishly.

"Then I suggest you go for the blue box. You won't regret it," I said, hoping that she would listen to my advice.

She started looking back and forth between the box on the shelf and the one in her basket, obviously trying to make her decision.

"But if you really must know, the best pasta is still served at my restaurant," I said, offering her one of my lopsided smiles. I knew the effect it had on the ladies and the minute I saw her reaction to it, I knew it had worked.

But only a second later, I felt truly bad about it. She wasn't one of those ladies I wanted to charm, she was different…exquisite. I wanted more than just to charm her!

I felt totally and utterly bad about the way I was treating her, even though to her nothing seemed out of order. I even felt bad about bragging about my lasagna making skills.

So before I offered her a chance to come up with any type of answer, I fled the aisle and rushed to the cash register, desperate to get out of here before she caught up with me. Much to my relief no one was there so I was quickly scanned out and was back in the parking lot and back in the safety of my car.

I had no idea what the hell happened to me. I felt so many emotions at the same time that I needed time to breathe and try to make up my mind without having her near.

Who the hell was she even? I didn't know the woman for Christ's sake and yet she seemed to control my every movement, my every thought and unfortunately what had come out of my mouth as well.

And add to it that I had practically run away from her as well and you can probably understand why I feel like a total fool. _Yeah, she must really like you now. _

For the first time a woman had made me feel something – not that I was gay, mind you – and I had simply bolted, afraid of what might have happened if perhaps I would have asked for her number, or a date. I didn't even know her name, and for some unknown reason I desperately wanted to know it now. I bet it would be as beautiful as she was.

I don't remember how long I sat in my car, struggling with the thoughts running through my head when I suddenly felt the overwhelming need to go back inside and do something instead of just sitting here and feeling bad about what had happened. I could apologize, tell her that she could choose whatever brand she wanted and maybe, if she hadn't kicked my ass by then, I could still have an opportunity to ask her out.

_Now, _that_ sounds like a plan, Cullen!_

Without giving it a second thought, I rushed out of my car again, back into the supermarket, my personal hell. _Not much of a hell now that you've met an angel in there!_

I tried to shush my own damn mind as I raced to Aisle 8, hoping that she would still be there, struggling with the lasagna boxes. Unfortunately she wasn't, so I kept running through the supermarket like a madman, hoping to see a wave of her long brown hair somewhere, but luck wasn't on my side.

Completely out of breath, I bent over and rested my hands on my knees.

"Are you okay, sir?" Someone called out from next to me.

I gave the old lady a short wave, indicating that I was okay even though my lungs, and some weird pain in my chest, told me I wasn't.

I mean, how could I be? I had just been such a complete dumb-fuck by letting this one girl go, the one girl who had been able to turn my world upside down in less than five minutes. _Yes, apparently I was turning into one of those guys from typical romance movies who turn into complete pussy's after meeting a beautiful woman._

'_But the movie guys are usually not so dumb that they let her go!" _My mind screamed at me. I tried my best to ignore the damn voice as I made my way out of the store.

Stupid, damn supermarkets.

I should have known that this was bound to go wrong, all because of the place where I had met her. Stupid damn supermarkets.

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_**A/N: **_**Now now, poor Edward!**

**But we already know how things are gonna end ;) **

**Next chapter should be up soon as well :) This week somewhere :)**

**Please leave me your thoughts!**

**Love, Ellen**


	8. Outtake (part 2)

**This is it, the second, and final, part of the outtake for Aisle 8. **

**I still don't own Twilight or these characters.**

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_Edward_

For the rest of the day, I was unable to occupy my mind other than with thoughts of what I should have said and done in order to not have ended up here, thinking everything over and over again.

I wish I had something to go by, anything, a name, even her damn initials, so I could boot up my computer and try to Google her, because dammit, I needed to know who she was. _Yeah, 'gorgeous and amazing brunette I met in my supermarket earlier while buying lasagna leaves' didn't really do the trick. _

All of this made me even relieved that I could go to work tonight, because if I couldn't distract my mind for a while, I would probably go completely insane. _I probably already was by now._

I let the flow and commotion of my restaurant's kitchen fall over me and instantly lost myself in the many dishes I had to prepare for tonight.

Here, I was truly home.

"Chef, compliments," one of the waiters announced to me with a pat on the back, effectively pulling me out of my working rush.

I grumbled a little under my breath as I quickly washed and dried my hands. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy when people like my dishes, but do I really have to come out of my kitchen just to smile at them and say thank you? Isn't it enough to just tell the waiter to tell me it was good?

"What table?" I asked unenthusiastically.

"Number 16, third one on the left." The waiter said an amused smirk on his face. Yes, he knew this wasn't my favorite part of the job.

I quickly made my way into the dining area, hoping to get his over with as soon as possible so I could go back to cooking. At the table Seth, the waiter, had mentioned, two older ladies were chatting and I couldn't help but groan. Not that I have anything against elderly people, but sometimes they could be a bit too much. I could already imagine them referring to me as 'son' while they pinched my cheeks. _Yeah, lovely, huh? _

And indeed, the minute I reached the table, they started gushing about the food just the way I expected they would.

"Oh dear, this was the best pasta I've had in years. Allie here, well, when her husband Charles was still alive, they once went to this restaurant with me and my hubs somewhere in downtown Chicago, and I thought I had the best dish ever then, but no, this, my son," _Aha, there it was! _"Was the best spaghetti I've had in my life! And let me tell you something, I've had a lot of spaghetti in my life. You might not be able to tell it, but I am already 86, dear. "

She rambled on and on for another few minutes, her friend throwing out some comments as well along the way, and I just kept smiling politely and throwing in some thank you's along the way, because even though they were a bit annoying, they were still customers. I was already imagining having the entire retirement home in my restaurant and the thought of that didn't seem too bad.

I was pulled out of my thoughts of a full dining area when from somewhere behind me someone started coughing violently. I instantly turned around, hoping nothing had been wrong with the food I had presented.

"Oh, poor girl seems to have it bad," Allie commented, but I was too perplexed to acknowledge the older woman.

I didn't know if faith had suddenly made its appearance or if I was starting to hallucinate because of a lack of sleep combined with a high stress level, but the person who was obviously choking on something was none other than the gorgeous brunette from the supermarket.

I knew I should have gone to her and tried to help her before she completely choked on whatever was blocking her airway, but my body was once again experiencing the same reactions as the first time I had seen her. Increasing heart rate: _Check_. Difficulties to breathe: _Check_. Frozen in place: _Check._

"Thank God, she seems to be okay. I really thought for a moment she was gonna stay in it." Nettie, the other old lady breathed in relief once the coughing had stopped.

"If you ladies would excuse me," I managed to choke out to my own surprise.

"Oh, of course dear, I'm sorry! We've been keeping you from your work way too long already." Nettie said, patting my hand, which was currently resting on their table for support.

I nodded once more before turning toward the stunning woman again.

'_Just go talk to her!' _the conscious part of my brain yelled at me. "_By standing here, gaping at her like a fuckwit you're not gonna achieve anything! Do you want her to get away a second time?"_

The last comment struck me and before I knew it I was standing next to her, feeling my brave self-taking control of the situation.

"And so we meet again," I said. And I instantly wanted to slap myself in the face for this stupid comment. _Seriously, that's what you come up with? Good job, Cullen, good job!_

"Seemingly," she sputtered, the coughing fit obviously still affecting her. But man, she was beautiful. In the dim light of my restaurant she seemed even more precious and I knew right there and then that she was a godsend and there was no way I was letting her slip through my fingers a second time.

But of course, instead of letting my inner gentle man take care of this situation, Mr. smug guy had to appear once again.

"Well, seeing that you are in my restaurant now, I come to understand that your own attempts to cooking lasagna weren't that successful."

"Who said that I have already tried?" she contradicted, giving me what I hoped was a playful glare

My hands shot up in surrender. "My bad, Miss," I laughed, hoping that I wasn't ruining this.

Before I could totally freak out, some shrieking pulled my eyes away from the girl that had had my full attention for the last few minutes. "This is _sooooo _good," her friend nearly shouted as she pointed at her half empty plate.

I just smiled politely, falling into my role as a chef again. "I'm glad you like it, Miss-"

"Alice!" She interrupted quickly, obviously offering me her name. To be honest, the way she looked at me kind of made me uncomfortable. If it had been her friend looking at me like that, I might have been crying out of happiness, but now, not so much. What if they were going to apply the female version of 'bros before hoes' rule which meant I was out of limits for the beautiful brunette because this pixie was crushing on me? _Please no!_

"Alice," I repeated slowly. Even though I wanted to run away from her – or well, turn around and focus on her friend again, I knew that, just as the two old ladies, she was a customer, so I had to be polite.

Suddenly an idea hit me. Maybe this Alice-girl could tell me some more about the object of my affection. I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face as I started talking again. "Now tell me this, did she already try to make the lasagna or is she just being smug."

"_Bella," Did she just emphasis her friends name? Is that a good thing? I mean you don't emphasis your friends name if you don't want someone to know their name right? Was she setting us up? Oh dear god, yes please! "_Did already try it," Alice said, grinning mischievously at her oh so beautiful friend. "But she totally failed. Well, not totally, but well, you know, it wasn't edible in the end."

I couldn't help but grin at her. This was too good of an opportunity to pass on. Seeing that she really was sort of a horrible cook, I might be able to teach her something. My mind was going over all the different options but it was quickly shut up when her beautiful voice filtered through again.

"It wasn't a total disaster," she argued, crossing her arms in front of her, looking even cuter than she did before. _God, I really have it bad. _

"Now, _Bella_," Yes, I couldn't help but emphasis her name as well, because damn, I finally knew her name. Bella. I knew it would fit her. Bella, beautiful. And God, beautiful she was. Oh, so beautiful.

"How about I show you how the perfect lasagna is made?" I offered quickly, trying to get my mind to stay in the restaurant instead of dancing around the imaginary Bella-alter it had set up somewhere in the back of my head.

"Like this one?" Bella said, pointing at her plate.

"Yes, like this one," I smirked, feeling so damn giddy that she liked my food. "I'm glad you agree on that."

But talking about the food suddenly made me realize that I really had to go back to my kitchen. I had already been out way too long, first with Nettie and Allie and now with Bella. My mind sighed just at the thought of her name. _Okay, this can't be healthy anymore, right? _

"Anyway, I really have to go back to my workshop over there before they start burning stuff because they miss my supervision," I said, pointing towards the kitchen. I really, really didn't want to leave but I couldn't leave my staff to their own devices. The restaurant was pretty packed and we could use every man in the kitchen.

And then suddenly a new thought entered my mind. Why should I have to wait with showing her how to cook? I mean, I might as well do it tonight? That way I might survive the rest of my shift, because right now, I felt like I would probably cut of my fingers because of the distractions.

I decided to just go for it. "I would like it if you would stick around 'til the end of the shift, so I can show you afterwards, how to make some decent food."

I saw her eyes widening in surprise and for a moment I wondered if I had crossed a line. Too soon? Fuck.

"She'll be there," Alice quickly said, causing Bella to suddenly nod. _Oh, so now Alice is clearly on the Bella – Edward team. Thank fucking god! _

And then I noticed the pink that was appearing on Bella cheeks. _Was she blushing? Was she maybe a little affected because of me as well? She had to be, right? I mean, this feeling I was experiencing couldn't be one-sided, could it? If it was it would be fucking cruel. _

A bright smile stretched across my face and suddenly I couldn't wait until my shift would end.

"Enjoy the rest of your meal, _Bella. _And if anything is wrong with it, ask for Edward. That would be me."

I couldn't help but offer her my name before I left her. Something inside me needed to make sure she knew, just in case.

If I wasn't so nervous and honestly sad that I had to go back to my kitchen, I might have skipped towards it. This night sure wasn't over yet.

* * *

**A/N: I decided to stop here, because the rest of the story would be pretty much a repeat of Bella's point of view :) I hope you enjoyed the story. Please leave me a review, I love them ;) (But then again, who doesn't love them?)**

**Currently, I'm not really working on any big stories 'cause university is being a bitch... I am kinda working on a one-shot, but I don't know if it will get finished soon - if it gets finished in the first place.**

**So yeah, even though I won't be posting a lot in the near future, I hope to see you back somewhere later! **

**Love, Ellen**


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